Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology
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Published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Published originally as Massachusetts Institute of Technology Meteorological Papers (1930-1932), this collection contains papers from Vol .1 No. 1 to Vol. 10 No. 4 (1930-1948).
ISSN: 0198-6821
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Browsing Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology by Subject "Atlantic Ocean"
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BookApplication of the distribution of oxygen to the physical oceanography of the Caribbean sea region(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1938-09) Seiwell, Harry RichardObservational data for this discussion were obtained principally during the two cruises of the oceanographic research ship, "Atlantis," to the Caribbean Sea March 7 to May 5, 1933 (stations 1487-1610) and February 2 to March 2, 1934 (stations 1935-2002). The oxygen determinations, carried out on board, have been published in Bulletin Hydrographique (1934, 1935) together with other hydrographic data. The Caribbean Sea region falls into two natural bathymetric subdivisions: a western, lying between Yucatan Channel and a ridge extending from Honduras to Haiti via Jamaica, designated in this paper as the "Cayman basin," and an eastern, between this ridge and the lesser Antilles, here designated as the "Caribbean basin". "Cayman basin" has been used by Parr (1937) and by Rakestraw and Smith (1937), and, while antedated by "Yucatan basin" (Krümmel, 1907) it seems that less confusion will arise if the term "Cayman" is used in this discussion. The "Atlantis" observations supply for the first time the necessary information for a detailed study of the distribution of oxygen in the Caribbean Sea region. The 1933 and 1934 observations are here used indifferently; such a procedure seemed desirable since the data are insuffcient for determination of annual or seasonal variations, particularly in view of the disturbing effect which may be caused by short period vertical oscillations of relatively large magnitude.
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BookCirculation in upper layers of southern North Atlantic deduced with use of isentropic analysis(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1938-08) Montgomery, Raymond B.Except for the presence in most localities of a shallow homogeneous surface layer and of a relatively homogeneous and deeper bottom layer, the oceans of the temperate and tropical regions are stratified and vertically stable at all depths. Due to the opacity of water for long-wave radiation and to the damping of vertical turbulence by the stability, there is no potent mechanism for altering the potential density of any water element below the layer of direct surface influences. Hence there can be no flow of major proportions across surfaces of constant potential density. For these reasons it is now generally accepted that flow takes place essentially parallel to these surfaces. It follows that the major sources for the water on each surface of constant potential density are to be found along its intersection with the sea surface in higher latitudes.
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BookThe effect of short period variations of temperature and salinity on calculations in dynamic oceanography(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1939-11) Seiwell, Harry RichardThis paper is a discussion of possible discrepancies in computations of ocean currents (based on horizontal variations of dynamic topography calculated from arbitrary deep lying reference surfaces), because of time variations of temperature and salinity at fixed depths in the sea (illustrated for a 24-hour period at "Atlantis" Station 2639). The results contained herein, while based chiefly on information from the western North Atlantic, are of general applicability, since time variations of the same order of magnitude have been observed over extensive areas of the Atlantic ocean. In selecting material for analysis of dynamic situations in the region concerned, consideration has been given only to those favorably located stations from which the structural features could most conveniently be obtained for illustrating the points in question.
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BookShort period vertical oscillations in the western basin of the North Atlantic(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1937-05) Seiwell, Harry RichardBecause of general interest in the subject of vertical oscillations in the sea and because such information is scanty for the ocean basins, an investigation of the question in the western North Atlantic was initiated by the establishment of "Atlantis" station 2639, July 9 to 13, 1936. The significance of vertical oscillations in the sea has been known from the earlier work of Helland-Hansen and Nansen, and, in 1926, these authors summarized their conception of the problem as follows: "By earlier investigations we have found that there are probably considerable vertical oscillations of the water layers in various regions of the ocean. Hence the occasional vertical series of observations cannot be expected always to represent the average conditions at any particular station. It is therefore of great importance for the discussion of the general conditions in a sea-area on the basis of the observations made, to study how far these actual observations at the different stations and different depths may be regarded as representative." Also, in this same paper we find the statements: "It has already been mentioned that the oscillations described have obviously to a great extent some connection with the tides; but how the tidal wave can produce vertical movements of such dimensions in the different strata of the sea seems to us at present to be inexplicable. We have here a phenomena of fundamental importance to oceanography, which has to be made the subject of special methodical investigations."
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BookStudies of the waters on the continental shelf, Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay. I. The cycle of temperature(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1933-12) Bigelow, Henry BryantWhen the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, in cooperation with the Museum of Comparative Zoology, commenced the oceanographic survey of the Gulf of Maine in the summer of 1912 (Bigelow, 1925-1927), it was in the hope that this might later be extended to the coastal waters thence southward; eventually even as far as the Gulf of Mexico. Cruises carried out in connection with investigations of the biology of the mackerel, by the Fisheries' steamer "Albatross II" from 1927 to 1932, supplemented by those of the research ship "Atlantis" of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, have made it possible to extend the detailed examination of the physical oceanography of the continental shelf as far as the offing of Chesapeake Bay, and to the offing of Cape Hatteras for some of the months. The present account of the temperature of the region will, it is hoped, be followed shortly by corresponding accounts of salinity, of circulation and of the dominant planktonic communities.
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BookStudies of the waters on the continental shelf, Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay. II. Salinity(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1935-07) Bigelow, Henry Bryant ; Sears, MaryThe present paper forms a sequel to the account of the temperature of the same region (Bigelow, 1933)... the continental shelf between the offings of Cape Cod (longitude about 70°) and Chesapeake Bay;-extended southward, for occasional months, to the offing of Cape Hatteras; and with such discussion of conditions along the continental slope as is justified by occasional profiles.
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BookA study of the circulation of the western North Atlantic(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1936-08) Iselin, Columbus O’DonnellWith the opening of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in July 1931, there was inaugurated a program of investigations in the deep waters of the western North Atlantic for which there had long been a great need. In contrast to most deep-sea investigations, which have had to be planned as single expeditions, the Institution was able to initiate a general program which could be carried out gradually in order to take advantage of knowledge gained during the course of the work. Suffcient funds having been provided for the continuous operation of its research vessel "Atlantis," work could be planned for all seasons of the year. Although these investigations have not been in progress for long and new data are continually being brought in by the "Atlantis," there are several reasons that make it seem desirable at this time to publish a preliminary report based on the completed temperature and salinity observations. In the first place, the problem of oceanic circulation is such that we cannot hope for a satisfactory solution for a long time to come. Moreover, it would be unwise to allow too much data to accumulate, because several years may pass before we can arrive at more important conclusions. Secondly, both the chemical and biological programs undertaken at the same time, require as a background the general scheme of circulation in the western North Atlantic as well as the distribution of temperature and salinity. It is, in fact, the necessity of taking into consideration the movements of the sea water which ties together the whole subject of oceanography. Therefore, it is the duty of those interested in ocean circulation to make available their findings as soon as possible for investigators of other problems in the same area. The "Atlantis" temperature and salinity observations discussed in these pages were planned with two main purposes in view. The first objective was an intensive study of seasonal changes along sections running from the southwestern corner of Nova Scotia to Bermuda and from Bermuda to the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.! This, of course, included an examination of fluctuations in the Gulf Stream, as well as of the variations in the water masses on each side of it. Second, there has been planned and partly carried out, a more general survey of the western North Atlantic, where accurate, deep stations have been sadly lacking.